Ora Lee Leeth returns to school board, teacher contracts approved

Ora Lee Leeth officially returned to the Stephenville ISD Board of Trustees Monday evening. She will fill the seat vacated in November by Doug McLemore until someone is elected on May 9. || BRAD KEITH/TheFlashToday.com

Because of a technicality – 180 days vs. six months – SISD officials learned they must fill the seat vacated in November by former trustee Doug McLemore, who resigned when he returned to the ministry.

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“I looked at it as six months and thought, ‘Okay, he resigned in November, the election is in May, we’re all set,’” said SISD Superintendent Matt Underwood before Monday’s regular monthly meeting at Bond Auditorium. “But since then we’ve learned it’s not technically six months that we can leave a seat open, it’s 180 days, so we missed it by 11 days.”

Leeth, a veteran retired school board member, received unanimous approval from other trustees to begin the meeting.

“I’m just glad my contract isn’t on the agenda, she may cause me fits,” Underwood joked that afternoon. “Really, though, teacher contracts are on the agenda, so I wanted to be sure we crossed all our ’Ts’ and dotted all our ‘Is.’”

A May 9 election will fill the seat. The next regular meeting is set for Tuesday, May 19.

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The other primary business Monday was the approval of contracts for teachers, speech pathologists, certified librarians, counselors and nurses, and that came unanimously following a brief closed session.

Erath County Chief Appraiser Jerry Lee continued his tour of county taxing entities seeking permission to purchase property at 1195 W. South Loop – the AG Texas building – and to sell property at 1390 N. Harbin – the current offices of the Erath County Appraisal District. Board members voted unanimously to approve the purchase and sale, though Lee does need approval from other entities.

AG Texas is moving to the outskirts of Stephenville on US Highway 377 South. Lee said the purchase price of the old AG Texas property is $400,000.

Trustees made a slew of proclamations recognizing high achieving students, including those honored by the Duke Talent Identification Program, AP art students, DECA officers, FCCLA honorees, the SHS boys regional quarterfinalist soccer team, the SHS girls regional semifinalist soccer club, the state grand champion Stingerettes and a team of theatrical design students that qualified 100 percent of its participants for state.

FCCLA students

The board also presented “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty,” or ABCD recognition, to members of the SHS advanced construction technology class and drivers with the school’s transportation department.

A driver noticed a young handicapped child struggling to use the stairs at his mobile home and decided to take action. Drivers raised the necessary funds and members of the construction technology class built a handicap ramp to fit health and safety codes at the student’s home.